peppertree
peppertree's JournalMissionary accused of blowing $33M of Bible donations on diamonds, gambling and $7M on family farm
Jason Gerald Shenk, 45, is wanted in relation to the alleged plot, which feds claim was carried out over the course of nine years between 2010 and 2019.
Agents say Shenk - who lives on a sprawling farm that's been in his family for years - took the sum under the guise it'd be spent on bible distribution.
Now considered a fugitive, Shenk allegedly spent it on personal effects such as diamonds and precious metals, gambling, and roughly $7 million on his farm.
A middle-aged missionary is being sought by feds for allegedly orchestrating a scheme that saw him misdirect more than $33million in donations meant for bibles - and instead spending it on a slew of personal splurges and illegal sports betting.
At: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/missionary-accused-of-blowing-33m-of-bible-donations-on-diamonds-gambling-and-7m-of-improvements-to-his-family-s-farm-in-elaborate-nine-year-scheme-is-on-the-run-from-feds/ar-AA1eFN6e
Holy roller: Now considered a fugitive, 45-year-old Jason Gerald Shenk is wanted on multiple federal charges in relation to an alleged plot saw him misdirect more than $33 million in donations over the course of nine years.
Prolific Brazilian composer and pianist Joao Donato dies at 88
Brazilian composer and pianist João Donato, who helped lay the groundwork for bossa nova but throughout his career defied confinement to any single genre, died Monday. He was 88.
Donato was prolific and inventive, collaborating with top artists at home and abroad, including Chet Baker, João Gilberto, Sergio Mendes, Tito Puente, Gilberto Gil, Gal Costa and countless others.
"Today we lost one of our greatest and most creative composers," Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva wrote on Twitter.
"João Donato saw music in everything. He innovated, he passed through samba, bossa nova, jazz, forro and in the mixture of rhythm built something unique. He kept creating and innovating until the end."
At: https://www.npr.org/2023/07/17/1188217314/pianist-joao-donato-dead-bossa-nova
Brazilian Jazz composer João Donato and his 1973 hit, Amazonas.
'Soap,' 'Benson' actress Inga Swenson dead at 90
Soap and Benson actress Inga Swenson has died in Los Angeles at the age of 90.
The Tony, Emmy and Golden Globe nominee's son, Mark, told TMZ her husband, Lowell Harris, was by her side when she died at a nursing home about six months after her health began to decline.
No official cause of death has been disclosed yet.
Her other credits include North & South, Nutcracker: Money, Madness & Murder, Advise and Consent, The Miracle Worker, Newhart, The Golden Girls and Hotel.
She retired from acting in 1998.
At: https://www.upi.com/Entertainment_News/TV/2023/07/29/inga-swenson-obit/2691690646628/
Actress Inga Swenson in her iconic role as the high-strung German housekeeper, Ms. Kraus, in the hit early-1980s comedy series Benson.
Joe Lewis, billionaire owner of Tottenham Hotspur, is charged with insider trading
Federal prosecutors charged Joseph C. Lewis, the British billionaire who owns the Tottenham Hotspur English soccer club, with insider trading, accusing him of illegally funneling nonpublic information to associates to trade on.
In a 29-page indictment, prosecutors in Manhattan on Tuesday accused the 86-year-old financier of doling out tips to friends and associates, including his pilots, personal assistants and romantic partners, from 2019 to 2021.
“He used inside information as a way to compensate employees and shower gifts on friends and lovers,” Damian Williams, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, said in a statement. “It’s cheating and against the law.”
Among the beneficiaries, according to the indictment, are a number of people he hosted at his estate in Lake Escondido, a secluded property in SW Argentina's lake country.
The meetings, held in October 2019, resulted in their purchase of Mirati Therapeutics (NASDAQ: MRTX) stock ahead of positive news regarding Marti's successful Kras gene inhibitor trials for possible oncological use.
Lewis has defied repeated Argentine court rulings since 2009 ordering him to cease blocking a stretch of provincial road leading to the scenic lake, which has effectively cut off public access.
At: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/26/business/dealbook/joe-lewis-tottenham-insider-trading.html
British billionaire Joe Lewis, charged in Manhattan with insider trading.
Among the beneficiaries, according to the indictment, are a number of people he hosted at his Lake Escondido, Argentina, estate.
Lewis' most prominent Argentine friend is right-wing former President Mauricio Macri, who in October 2019 became the first Argentine president to lose a re-election bid - and who periodically visits Lewis at his lakefront mansion.
Argentina signs NASA's Artemis Accords
Argentina signed the Artemis Accords on Thursday evening following a meeting between President Alberto Fernández and U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Administrator Bill Nelson at the Casa Rosada.
“It is very important we take this step as it is key that we move forward in the field of space development,” Fernández said as Argentina became the 28th signatory.
“We are convinced that it must be a state policy. We have always been interested in science and technology, we believe that this is the way to go.”
The Artemis Accords — non-binding guidelines for members of the Artemis Program to return humans to the moon in 2025 — were initially signed in 2020 by eight countries, and have since expanded to include countries on all continents. In Latin America, participants include Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico.
NASA has collaborated with Argentina on previous projects - including a satellite project to study how ocean water with more salt, sinks and creates currents.
“Argentina certainly has the technological base and scientific know-how for this to be a cooperative adventure in the future,” Nelson noted.
At: https://buenosairesherald.com/society/science-innovation/nasa-administrator-we-want-argentina-as-a-partner-in-our-space-projects
Argentine President Alberto Fernández shakes hands with NASA Administrator Bill Nelson in Buenos Aires after signing the Artemis Accords — non-binding guidelines for members of the Artemis Program to return humans to the moon in 2025.
Nelson had earlier visited the country's National Space Activities Commission (CONAE), which has been instrumental in making Argentina a regional leader in Earth observation satellites.
Buenos Aires and Mendoza, Argentina, are now destinations endorsed by the Michelin Guide
Buenos Aires and Mendoza, Argentina, are now destinations endorsed by the Michelin Guide, as the famed culinary guide decided to review Argentina’s restaurants, the first Spanish-speaking country of Latin America to achieve this.
The announcement was made this Tuesday by Argentine Tourism Minister Matías Lammens and Michelin Guide Communications Director Elisabeth Boucher-Anselin, in an event held in Buenos Aires.
“According to our inspectors, Buenos Aires and Mendoza are first level culinary destinations,” Boucher-Anselin noted. “As a capital city, Buenos Aires is also a breathtaking metropolis that offers a wide range of architecture, culture and cuisine, with fancy restaurants to casual bistros backed by international and local foodies.”
She added that the first selection of restaurants for both locations will be unveiled on November 24 of this year.
“Buenos Aires and Mendoza are just the first places that have been reviewed, but the goal is to expand this selection to other places in Argentina,” said Lammens, who revealed that the negotiations to include the country in the culinary guide began about a year ago.
At: https://buenosairesherald.com/society/buenos-aires-city-and-mendoza-are-now-destinations-endorsed-by-the-michelin-guide
Argentine Tourism Minister Matías Lammens and Michelin Guide Communications Director Elisabeth Boucher-Anselin during today's annoucement of the inclusion of two Argentine cities - Buenos Aires and Mendoza - in the famed Michelin Guide.
Michelin, which evaluates over 16,000 restaurants worldwide, made Argentina only the second Latin American country to be included in their iconic red guides - after Brazil.
Buenos Aires and Mendoza are the two most visited Argentine cities by foreign tourists, with around 65% and 10%, respectively, of a projected 7 million tourist arrivals this year.
Spain election: right-wing bloc pulls ahead but remains short of overall majority
With 99% of the votes counted, the right-wing Popular Party (PP) has won the election with 136 seats.
But the result is far from an outright majority and hints at weeks – if not months – of negotiations as parties try to hammer out whether Spain’s next government will tack to the right or left.
The Socialists (PSOE) did better than polls had predicted, winning 122 seats. The result is a slight gain over the 120 seats it won in the November 2019 election.
The new left-wing movement, Sumar, won 31 seats.
The far-right party Vox has taken some of the biggest losses of the night, with its seat count dropping from 52 in the country’s parliament to 33.
A PP-Vox coalition would have 169 seats – meaning it would need to secure a handful of votes from other parties to secure the 176 seats needed for a majority in the 350-seat parliament. It is a tall order, given that most regional parties have expressed hesitation over striking deals that could ease Vox’s path to power.
The Socialists and Sumar would have 153 seats together, meaning they could potentially try to strike deals with smaller regional parties to govern.
But doing so would require fraught negotiations, meaning Spain risks heading into new elections.
At: https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2023/jul/23/spain-election-2023-polls-results-latest-news
Spanish candidates Yolanda Díaz (left-wing), Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez (center-left), Alberto Núñez Feijóo (right-wing), and Santiago Abascal (far-right).
Prime Minister Sánchez's ruling Socialists - who were projected to lose - fared better than expected, and may be able to form a coalition government with smaller regional parties wary of entering an alliance with Abascal's neo-fascist Vox.
IMF and Argentina set ground for Staff Level Agreement on $45 billion, Macri-era debt
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) announced on Sunday midday that it has agreed on primary objectives for a new Staff-Level Agreement with Argentina.
“The main objectives and parameters that will serve as the grounds for a ‘Staff-Level Agreement’ have been agreed on,” the IMF announced via Twitter.
Argentina and the IMF agreed on a disbursement program for the second semester of 2023 - including a potential advance of over $8 billion.
Government sources told the Herald they expect the staff level agreement — a preliminary technical understanding subject to the IMF board’s approval — to be closed between Wednesday and Thursday.
The agreement would allow the country to continue servicing its $45 billion IMF debt, granted to former President Mauricio Macri during his failed, 2019 re-election campaign - reportedly at then-President Donald Trump's insistence.
The deal recognizes the harsh impact a record drought has had on the country’s exports and fiscal income, with agricultural GDP down 43.8% in May from a year earlier (and 5.5% overall).
Amid the worst drought in a century, Argentina's central bank reserves have so far this year plummeted by $19 billion, to $25.5 billion - less than three months of goods and services imports.
Argentine officials also credited White House and congressional support for today's agreement, while noting that IMF officials had disclosed that right-wing Argentine figures lobbied hard against any agreement - preferring instead "to let it all blow up" ahead of elections this October.
At: https://buenosairesherald.com/economics/imf-and-argentina-set-the-ground-for-staff-level-agreement
Argentine Economy Minister Sergio Massa and IMF Deputy Managing Director Gita Gopinath share a light moment during Massa's March visit to IMF headquarters - when the last IMF loan disbursement to the country was agreed on.
The IMF's quarterly loan disbursements to Argentina - the centerpiece of a March 2022 refinance agreement - have been critical to Argentina's repayment of a $45 billion IMF debt, granted to former President Mauricio Macri during his failed, 2019 re-election campaign - reportedly at then-President Donald Trump's insistence
A record drought this year - estimated to have cost Argentina some $20 billion in export earnings - led to a renegotiation of the 2022 refinance agreement.
Tucker Carlson's extremist recommendation to Republicans: 'The US should bomb Mexico'
During the Family Leadership Summit in Des Moines, Iowa, former television host Tucker Carlson suggested that Mexico was a bigger threat to the United States than Russia, as well as proposing to “bomb” the country to crack down on drug trafficking.
Throughout the event that took place on Friday, July 14, Tucker Carlson interviewed six candidates for the presidential candidacy of the Republican Party.
The tensest moment of the interview with Tim Scott was when Carlson, who has made comments in favor of Russian President Vladimir Putin, questioned why the United States sees the Kremlin as a threat and not Mexico.
Tucker Carlson later interviewed Asa Hutchinson, the governor of Arkansas, to whom he suggested: “Why not bomb the Mexican cartels?” - an act of war against an allied country.
At: https://mexicodailypost.com/2023/07/18/tucker-carlsons-extremist-recommendation-to-the-republicans-the-us-should-bomb-mexico/
Disgraced former Fox News host Tucker Carlson defends Russia to a befuddled Tim Scott at the Family Leadership Summit in Des Moines, Iowa - an early cattle call for GOP contenders.
“Why not bomb the Mexican cartels?” Carlson later asked Asa Hutchinson.
Record drought pushes Argentina back into recession
Argentina's Statistics Bureau (INDEC) reported that economic activity in the country fell again in May - albeit at a much slower rate than in April, posting a monthly drop of only 0.1%.
But compared to May 2022, activity was 5.5% lower - pushing GDP to its lowest level in 16 months, and representing the sharpest year-on-year fall in 31 months.
It was the second consecutive monthly drop for Argentina's economy, the third-largest in Latin America and 23rd in the world, after monthly GDP fell 1.8% in April (and 4.4% from April 2022).
In both monthly readings, agriculture accounted for virtually the entire downturn - with annual GDP slipping 0.4% in April and rising 0.3% in May but for that sector.
A record drought - the worst since 1929 - pushed agricultural output down 37% in April and 43.8% in May, costing the severely indebted country's coffers an estimated $20 billion in foreign exchange.
The nation's GDP, however, remains 5% above December 2019 levels, when current President Alberto Fernández took office on the heels of a foreign debt bubble crash known as the "Macrisis" - a reference to his right-wing predecessor, Mauricio Macri.
Fernández's Economy Minister, Sergio Massa, is currently in Washington negotiating repayment terms with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) over a record, $45 billion bailout granted to Macri during his failed re-election campaign - reportedly at the insistence of then-President Donald Trump.
At: https://www-baenegocios-com.translate.goog/economia/El-impacto-de-la-sequia-continuo-en-mayo-y-el-PBI-siguio-en-baja-20230718-0049.html?_x_tr_sl=es&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-US&_x_tr_pto=wapp
A harvester collects soy in eastern Argentina's fertile Pampas region.
A record drought - the worst since 1929 - has cost the country's coffers an estimated $20 billion in foreign exchange so far this year, bringing a strong 2021-22 recovery to a halt and jeopardizing the country's ability to service its $190 billion public foreign debt.
Argentina's public foreign debt doubled under right-wing President Mauricio Macri in 2015-19 - an estimated 80% of which went to finance asset dollarizing and offshoring by both local elites and foreign speculators.
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